http://www.wendag.com/images/angelology/sevenarchangels.jpgArchangels are the chief princes, principals or great angels. They are the mightiest of the mighty. They are God’s messengers of Divine Decrees, deliverers of justice, and the ultimate warriors of God’s armies.

It will be the voice of Michael that will be heard on judgment day while Gabriel blows a trumpet.

Depending on which source you read or have been taught in your religion there are quite differing opinions as to how many archangels there are. Each religion has a number of either four, six, seven or nine archangels.

At some point in time, actually it was from the beginning of written language, each religion had a group of theologians who decided which books of the Bible would be shared or (canonized) with the public and which ones would not. In my opinion we should make that decision ourselves so read them all my friends.

For instance Jews, Catholics, Protestants, Greek Orthodox all have a slight difference but there is a lot of overlap in their Old and New Testaments.

In post Biblical Judaism some angels took on a particular significance and developed unique personalities and roles such as Michael and Gabriel.

Michael is recognized in all three of the major religions but he has very significant meaning to Judaism. He is Israel's warrior and advocate. Michael, "who is as God", the chief archangel

Michale and Gabriel are both mentioned in Daniel but there are references to both in other scripture.

In Daniel 10:13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the “chief princes”, came to help me.

Gabriel is also mentioned in Daniel 8:16 And I heard a man’s voice between the banks of U-lai, which called, and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision. he is also referenced in the Talmud, the central text of mainstream Judaism.

One of the first teachings of the "chief angels" came from the prophet Zoroaster around 330 BC. He transformed the ancient Babylonian and Assyrian winged messengers into archangels. Zoroaster developed a religion based on good and evil and that there was a supreme God who radiated seven holy chief angels representing seven fundamental moral ideas.

In the rabbinic tradition, the Kabbalah which is a mystical view of Judaism, and the Book of Enoch there are at least seven chief angels and there is no doubt about the number.

However, oddly enough they list eight. They list the three higher and if it didn’t seem sacrilegious, I would call them the trinity like celery, onions and peppers not like the holy trinity! They are Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel.

The Koran, in Islam only mentions four archangels (bet you can guess three of them), Gabriel, Michael, Raphael and Zarael.

http://www.wendag.com/images/angelology/celestialarmy.jpgThe Catholic Church believes that there are many angels but the only names that are used in angelic cult are the two occurring in the Bible, Michael and Gabriel. Raphael appears in the Book of Tobit, for you Protestants that is a canonical book in the Catholic and Orthodox Bibles, but considered apocryphal by Protestants. I digress we will get into this later in the web site (if you care) I find it very interesting.

Uriel is named in another one of “those” books 2 Esdras (which used to be Ezra and Nehemiah) and I bet you have heard of them.

Christianity has a few views of its own. The Bible, according to some, makes only two references to “archangels”: Michael in Jude 1:9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

In 1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:.

Now that is all well, fine and good but I consider Daniel to be a definite part of the Christian Bible. Daniel may not call Michael an archangel but he does call him one of the “chief princes” which is one of the translations! Arch means “chief, principal or most important”.

I believe there are 7 chief angels because the number 7 is so prevalent. Just read the book of Revelations. Seven is a number used throughout the book.

There are seven churches, seven Spirits which are before His throne, seven golden candlesticks, seven stars, seven lamps of fire, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven thunders, in Revelation 11: 13 seven thousand men were slain, there is a dragon with seven heads and a beast out of the sea with seven heads, seven plagues, seven vials. In Revelations 1:4 it talks of the seven Spirits which can also translate to seven Archangels. They are His warriors and at the end of times they will deliver all seven of the seven vials of plagues.

Michael and GabrielIt is hard to say which of these majestic angels are the most popular in Christianity, Michael or Gabriel but there is a definite priority among Jews and Muslims.

Michael (http://www.wendag.com/forum/showthread.php/520-The-Archangel-Michael), as already stated, is number one as far as Israel is concerned but as far as Islam is concerned Gabriel (http://www.wendag.com/forum/showthread.php/518-The-Archangel-Gabriel) is the number one angel.

Raphael (http://www.wendag.com/forum/showthread.php/519-Raphael), "God has healed" is the third most prominent archangel. He is not mentioned by name in the Protestant Bible; however, he plays a very special role in the Book of Tobit in the Catholic Bible. They even celebrate The Feast of St. Raphael on May 18th.

Uriel (http://www.wendag.com/forum/showthread.php/521-The-Archangel-Uriel), "Fire of God", the fourth "chief angel" Are you Seraphim or Cherubim? Do you hold the keys to Hell? Was your status as an archangel ever revoked?

Chamuel (http://www.wendag.com/forum/showthread.php/517-Chamuel), "He who seeks God", the 5th "chief angel" was sent on the hardest mission of all the archangels.

Jophiel (http://www.wendag.com/forum/showthread.php/522-The-Archangel-Jophiel), "Beauty of God" the 6th "chief angel" and the most under appreciated. Find out his mission in the Garden of Eden and why he is so important to humanity.

Zadkiel (http://www.wendag.com/forum/showthread.php/523-The-Archangel-Zadkiel), "Righteousness of God" The 7th "chief angel" is the ruler of the Dominions, the 4th choir in the 2nd celestial hierarchy. He tested the obedience of the man who is the Father of Nations - remember who he is?